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Bruni L, Manghi M, De Sanctis P, Zucchini C, Croci S. Validation of circular dichroic spectroscopy of synthetic oligonucleotide PS2.M for K + concentration measurements. EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL PLUS 2022; 137:433. [PMID: 35411290 PMCID: PMC8988120 DOI: 10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-02581-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The single-stranded synthetic oligonucleotide PS2.M is known to provide a basis for developing sensors since it tends to fold into structures called G-quadruplexes (G4) having characteristic topology and orientation with probabilities that depend on the chemical environment. The presence and concentration of cation species are among the key factors that determine the outcome of such a process. PS2.M and other aptamers have been used in several applications in conjunction with various probes, such as hemin, at the cost of increased technical complexity and applicability limitations. We instead validated the application limits of Circular Dichroic spectroscopy (CD) as only measurement method to assay PS2.M asK + sensor in a variety of solutions having different chemical complexity. The tested solutions range from simple NaCl and KCl solutions to chemically complex solutions like DMEM-Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium-which is widely used in a biological laboratory. PS2.M was also evaluated in solutions of KHCO 3 and D-ribose (K:D-rib), an antioxidant potassium compound, to compare its response to the simple KCl solution case. Our findings show that, within specific concentration applicability ranges, CD spectra can estimate theK + concentration in the examined water solutions even at high Na + concentrations with respect toK + and in the presence of antioxidant molecules. Supplementary Information The online version supplementary material available at 10.1140/epjp/s13360-022-02581-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Bruni
- National Institute for Biostructures and Biosystems, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Manghi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Paola De Sanctis
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cinzia Zucchini
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), Unit of Histology, Embryology and Applied Biology, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simonetta Croci
- National Institute for Biostructures and Biosystems, Rome, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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Ahmed M, Basheer HA, Ayuso JM, Ahmet D, Mazzini M, Patel R, Shnyder SD, Vinader V, Afarinkia K. Agarose Spot as a Comparative Method for in situ Analysis of Simultaneous Chemotactic Responses to Multiple Chemokines. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1075. [PMID: 28432337 PMCID: PMC5430824 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00949-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe a novel protocol to quantitatively and simultaneously compare the chemotactic responses of cells towards different chemokines. In this protocol, droplets of agarose gel containing different chemokines are applied onto the surface of a Petri dish, and then immersed under culture medium in which cells are suspended. As chemokine molecules diffuse away from the spot, a transient chemoattractant gradient is established across the spots. Cells expressing the corresponding cognate chemokine receptors migrate against this gradient by crawling under the agarose spots towards their centre. We show that this migration is chemokine-specific; meaning that only cells that express the cognate chemokine cell surface receptor, migrate under the spot containing its corresponding chemokine ligand. Furthermore, we show that migration under the agarose spot can be modulated by selective small molecule antagonists present in the cell culture medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohaned Ahmed
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Haneen A Basheer
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Jose M Ayuso
- Group of Structural Mechanics and Material Modelling, Universidad Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research, and The University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center Madison, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, USA
| | - Djevdet Ahmet
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Marco Mazzini
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Tecnologia del Farmaco, Universitá Degli Studi di Torino, Via P. Giuria 9, 10125, Torino, Italy
| | - Roshan Patel
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Steven D Shnyder
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Vinader
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom
| | - Kamyar Afarinkia
- The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom.
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Frajese GV, Benvenuto M, Fantini M, Ambrosin E, Sacchetti P, Masuelli L, Giganti MG, Modesti A, Bei R. Potassium increases the antitumor effects of ascorbic acid in breast cancer cell lines in vitro. Oncol Lett 2016; 11:4224-4234. [PMID: 27313770 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.4506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascorbic acid (A) has been demonstrated to exhibit anti-cancer activity in association with chemotherapeutic agents. Potassium (K) is a regulator of cellular proliferation. In the present study, the biological effects of A and K bicarbonate, alone or in combination (A+K), on breast cancer cell lines were evaluated. The survival of cancer cells was determined by sulforhodamine B cell proliferation assay, while analysis of the cell cycle distribution was conducted via fluorescence-activated cell sorting. In addition, the expression of signaling proteins was analyzed upon treatment. The results indicated that there was a heterogeneous response of the different cell lines to A and K, and the best effects were achieved by A+K and A treatment. The interaction between A+K indicated an additive or synergistic effect. In addition, A+K increased the percentage of cells in the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle, and was the most effective treatment in activating the degradation of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase-1. In the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, A+K induced the appearance of the 18 kDa isoform of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X protein (Bax), which is a more potent inducer of apoptosis than the full-length Bax-p21. The effects of A and K on the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1 and ERK2 were heterogeneous. In addition, treatment with K, A and A+K inhibited the expression of nuclear factor-κB. Overall, the results of the present study indicated that K potentiated the anti-tumoral effects of A in breast cancer cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Vanni Frajese
- Department of Sports Science, Human and Health, University of Rome 'Foro Italico', Rome I-00135, Italy
| | - Monica Benvenuto
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome I-00133, Italy
| | - Massimo Fantini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome I-00133, Italy
| | - Elena Ambrosin
- Department of Sports Science, Human and Health, University of Rome 'Foro Italico', Rome I-00135, Italy
| | - Pamela Sacchetti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome I-00185, Italy
| | - Laura Masuelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome 'Sapienza', Rome I-00185, Italy
| | - Maria Gabriella Giganti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome I-00133, Italy
| | - Andrea Modesti
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome I-00133, Italy
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome I-00133, Italy
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